Barnet

Barnet's population expanded in the decade leading up to the most recent census. Data from the census show there were changes in housing tenure, relationships and jobs.

The population reached nearly 360,000

In the decade to 2011, the population of Barnet increased by 13%, from just under 315,000 to 356,000.

The addition of just under 42,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Barnet was home to, on average, 29 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was lower than the average across London

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across London, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Barnet.

The percentage of households in Barnet that rented privately increased from 16% in 2001 to 26% in 2011.

In 2011, just under one in seven (14%) households lived in social housing, compared with 15% in 2001. The percentage of Barnet households that owner their home decreased from 66% to 58%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased here at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 15% in 2001 to 25% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Barnet increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Barnet, London and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Barnet

The number of people in Barnet that described themselves as Hindu increased from about 21,000 in 2001 to just under 22,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 6.7% to 6.2%.

Across London, the percentage of people from this religious group increased by from 4.1% to 5.0%, while across England the percentage went from 1.2% to 1.6%.

The number of people in Barnet that described themselves as Christian remained close to 150,000 between the last two censuses (from 47% to 41% of the population). The number of people who described themselves as having no religion increased from about 40,000 to about 57,000 (from 13% to 16%).

Just over 54,000 people (15%) said they were Jewish, up from about 47,000 in 2001 (15%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Hindu in Barnet remained close to 6.2%

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Barnet by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people living alone

The percentage of single-person households fell in Barnet at a faster rate than in nearby Brent.

In Barnet, the proportion of single-person households decreased from 31% in 2001 to 28% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in Brent decreased from 29% to 28%.

Across London, the share of single-person households decreased from 35% to 32%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Barnet increased from 6.2% to 6.7%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 35% to 34%.

The percentage of households with only a single-person was lower than across London

Percentage of households that that comprised only a single person across local authority areas in London and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in rate of self-employment

The percentage of Barnet residents that were self-employed increased from 12% to 16% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

In 2011, just under one in two (48%) people aged 16 to 74 said they were employed, compared with 49% in 2001. The percentage of Barnet residents that were unemployed increased from 3.4% to 4.4%.

The proportion of self-employed people increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 9.0% in 2001 to 12% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 8.2% to 9.7%.

The rate of self-employment in Barnet increased by 3.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 in Barnet, London and England that said they were self-employed, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Barnet residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 7.3% to 4.6% between the last two censuses.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just over 8 in 10 (84%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 73% in 2001. The percentage of Barnet residents that described their health as fair decreased from 20% to 11%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 8.3% in 2001 to 5.0% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Barnet decreased by 2.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Barnet, London and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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